What Is a Fasthosts Solution Partner (And Why It Matters for Your Website)?
Who are we?
We are OpenSource Cafe, an independent web application and software development company. We build websites, eCommerce platforms and bespoke software, and we are also an official Fasthosts Solution Partner.
Our main priority is doing the right thing for our Customers. That means recommending the technology that fits your requirements, explaining the trade-offs clearly, and making sure your website remains properly supported after launch.
Hosting is an important part of that relationship. A website can be beautifully designed and carefully developed, but it still needs reliable infrastructure, correctly configured domains, secure email and ongoing technical attention.
That is where working with a Fasthosts partner can help.
What is a Fasthosts Solution Partner?
The Fasthosts Partner Programme is designed for agencies, developers, IT providers and managed service businesses that provide hosting or online solutions for their customers.
A Solution Partner uses Fasthosts hosting and infrastructure as part of a broader service. Rather than asking every customer to buy hosting independently and manage it alone, we can help choose, configure and look after the hosting environment as part of the overall website project.
That can include:
- Selecting an appropriate hosting package
- Registering or transferring domains
- Setting up website hosting and email
- Migrating an existing website
- Configuring DNS records
- Installing and renewing SSL certificates
- Optimising WordPress hosting
- Managing updates, backups and technical changes
- Liaising with Fasthosts support when escalation is needed
The programme also gives partners access to commercial, technical and account-management benefits. These can include partner pricing, priority UK technical support, customer management tools and additional resources for managing multiple client environments.
Our role is not simply to resell a hosting package. We use Fasthosts hosting as one part of a complete service, so you have one technical partner who understands how your website, domain, email and hosting fit together.
What does being a Fasthosts partner mean for you?
The main benefit is straightforward: you do not have to become the hosting expert yourself.
When you purchase a domain or hosting package directly, you are responsible for making sure everything is configured correctly. That may be manageable for a technically confident business owner, but it can become time-consuming when a website, email service or DNS setting needs attention.
As your web development partner, we can handle those details for you.
| Area | What we can do |
|---|---|
| Hosting selection | Recommend a package that matches your website, traffic and future plans |
| Website setup | Configure the hosting environment and connect your domain |
| Migration | Move an existing website, database and supporting files |
| Help migrate mailboxes and configure the necessary records | |
| DNS | Manage A records, MX records, CNAME records and other settings |
| SSL | Configure secure HTTPS access and resolve certificate issues |
| WordPress | Improve performance, manage updates and review the hosting setup |
| Support | Work with Fasthosts when a technical issue needs escalation |
| Ongoing management | Make changes and keep the environment organised after launch |
This gives you a clearer route to support. Instead of trying to establish whether an issue belongs to your website developer, domain registrar, email provider or hosting company, you can contact us first. We can investigate the problem and involve Fasthosts when necessary.
Priority support and technical escalation
All hosting providers have support processes. The difference is often what happens when an issue is more complicated than a standard question.
As an official Fasthosts partner, we have access to partner support channels and priority technical support. This provides a more direct route into the Fasthosts support team than a typical customer setup.
That does not mean every issue is resolved instantly, or that a partner can bypass all technical processes. It does mean we can provide the relevant account information, explain the wider context and follow an issue through the appropriate escalation path.
This matters when:
- A website migration has a complex DNS requirement
- A server or hosting configuration needs investigation
- A domain transfer is not progressing as expected
- Email delivery is affected by DNS or security settings
- A WordPress website has a hosting-related performance issue
- Several client services need to be managed together
At higher partner levels, Fasthosts also offers additional account-management benefits, including dedicated account support for eligible Gold Partners. The exact benefits available depend on the partner level, products and account arrangements, so we do not present the programme as a guarantee of unlimited support.
What we can promise is that we take responsibility for communicating clearly, investigating properly and staying involved until the next step is understood.
Partner pricing does not mean compromising on service
The Fasthosts Partner Programme includes partner pricing and discounts that can vary according to products, account arrangements and overall spend.
For customers, this can make a managed hosting arrangement more cost-effective than purchasing every service separately. However, we do not choose hosting solely because it is available at a discounted rate.
We begin with what your business actually needs.
A small brochure website may only require a straightforward hosting package. A busy eCommerce store could need more storage, stronger performance, additional resilience or a different infrastructure approach. A growing organisation may benefit from separating its website, email and application services.
Our job is to explain those options in plain English. If a lower-cost package is sufficient, we will say so. If your requirements justify a more capable setup, we will explain why.
We also keep hosting administration organised. That includes documenting what is in place, keeping track of domains and making sure the right people know where to go when something changes.
How we support Fasthosts hosting projects
A hosting provider supplies the infrastructure, but a partner can help connect that infrastructure to the rest of your digital setup.
Choosing the right package
We look at the type of website you are running, expected traffic, storage requirements, email needs, security considerations and future plans. We then recommend a practical starting point rather than over-specifying the setup.
Setting up the hosting environment
We can create or configure the hosting account, connect the domain, prepare the website environment and check that the key services are working correctly before launch.
For WordPress projects, that may include reviewing PHP settings, caching, database configuration, themes, plugins and backup arrangements.
Migrating websites and email
Moving a website involves more than copying files. We may need to migrate the database, update configuration settings, check links, test forms and verify that the domain points to the correct server.
Email migration needs similar care. We can help plan mailbox changes, configure MX records and reduce the risk of messages being lost during the transition.
Managing DNS and SSL
DNS controls where your domain sends visitors and email. A small error can make a website unavailable or prevent email from being delivered.
We can manage the relevant records, check propagation and configure SSL so your website loads securely over HTTPS. We also investigate certificate warnings and mixed-content issues when they arise.
Optimising WordPress hosting
Fasthosts provides WordPress hosting packages, but performance still depends on how WordPress itself is configured.
We can review plugins, image sizes, caching, database health, updates and general site structure. We also look at the wider website rather than treating hosting speed as a standalone issue.
Providing ongoing management
After launch, we can continue to manage hosting changes, domain renewals, technical updates and support requests. That can be part of a wider website support package, or it can be arranged as occasional technical assistance when you need it.
Our wider web development services include website development, eCommerce, hosting and software engineering support.
How can you check whether a partner is genuine?
If a company says it is a Fasthosts partner, you should be able to ask for evidence.
The official Fasthosts Partner Network is a useful starting point. You can also ask the agency:
- Are you an official Fasthosts Partner or Solution Partner?
- Can you provide a link to your Partner Network listing?
- Which hosting and support services do you actually manage?
- Will the domain and hosting account remain accessible to us?
- What happens if we decide to move to another provider?
- What is included in your ongoing management fee?
- Who owns the website, domain and associated data?
A trustworthy partner should answer these questions clearly. We believe customers should retain appropriate access and ownership of their digital assets, even when we manage the technical administration on their behalf.
Who benefits most from a partner-managed setup?
Not every business needs one.
If you have a simple website, understand hosting administration and are comfortable handling support yourself, buying Fasthosts web hosting directly may be perfectly suitable.
A partner-managed setup is most useful when:
- Your website generates leads or sales
- You rely on business email every day
- You are migrating from another provider
- You do not have internal technical expertise
- You manage several domains or websites
- Your WordPress site needs regular maintenance
- You want one point of contact for website and hosting issues
- You are launching an eCommerce store or bespoke application
The value is not just the hosting package. It is the combination of appropriate infrastructure, correct configuration, clear communication and someone who remains involved when something needs attention.
Talk to our team about your hosting setup
As an official Fasthosts Solution Partner, we can help with new website hosting, WordPress hosting in the UK, migrations and ongoing technical management.
We can review your current setup, explain what needs changing and recommend a sensible next step. If you are starting a new project, we can also include hosting, domains, email and support in the wider delivery plan.
Start a conversation with OpenSource Cafe. We will help you build the right thing: and keep it working properly afterwards.